Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 47
March 19, 2012
To Love An Irishman
Today I'm happy to welcome the lovely and talented Diva Jefferson to the blog. She's a fellow Black Opal author, as well as a FB & Twitter pal. She and I flipped some emails back and forth and came up with an appropriately Irish-themed interview. I hope you enjoy getting to know Diva, and that you check out her new release, To Love An Irishman.
LR: Are you Irish? How did you celebrate St Patty's Day?DJ: Yes, I do have some Irish blood in me. I celebrate St. Patty's Day every year by making homemade from scratch Cabbage and Bacon soup.
LR: Have you been to Ireland? Tell us about it, and if not, tell us about your plans to go.DJ: I have not been to Ireland, but my grandparents have. They provided me with a lot of information as well as books, Google, and friends I've made along my writing journey. I'd love to go very much. This year, if everything works out alright, I will be going to Dublin for my honeymoon. :)
LR: If you could turn back time, when and where would you like to live?DJ: If I could turn back time, I would like to live in America during the mid-1800s before the Civil War. I am very fond of pretty dresses, and suited men who come to court the women who wear them. I would miss new technology, but I'd like to see a world that is illuminated by candles. I've read enough history to know that every place has its ups and downs, but in all actuality, I'd rather be here than anywhere else.
LR: Is it hard to create historical characters, particularly women, who feel relevant to contemporary readers? Women's roles seem so different now, or do you think that the more things change, the more they stay the same?DJ: Modern women sometimes don't realize how well we have it now a days. Back then, say 1800s, things were so much different for women. Men decided their lifestyles, what they did, how they did it, where they went. It's hard to relate when we have so much opportunity to follow our dreams than before. It's all we've known in this lifetime. Things do not remain the same, because we are now encouraged by the men in our lives rather than hindered and it's a welcome change.
I still prefer a historical romance where the man goes after the woman, all that chivalry stuff, but a different way of thinking allow us to broaden our horizons and make the heroine go after the hero instead. Like the old Irish and Scottish tradition of the woman asking the man to marry him on Leap Year's Day (or known here as Sadie Hawkins Day). Some change has been going on for centuries behind everyone's back.
Luckily, time does not alter a person's feelings and emotions. Every woman through out history has felt love, betrayal, lust, loneliness, and anger to name a few. If contemporary readers could connect with my heroines on those levels, then I've reached them.
LR: What's the best part about writing romance?DJ: Romance to me is something I know from experience. It involves human emotions that are taken from real life and molded into people I either could be best friends with (the heroine) or could fall in love with (the hero). Either way it's easier to write what you know, according to Stephen King. Besides, romance always has a happy ending. Shouldn't that be the same for all our lives?
LR: Who's your favorite Celtic music band/artist?DJ: My favorite band is Celtic Thunder. They all have wonderful voices and their music tends to gravitate toward the traditional folk music that you find at Irish pubs.
LR: Guinness or Harp? DJ: Guinness. I like the rich barley taste in the darker beer.
Gotta love a girl who knows her beer, right! Thanks again, Diva, for playing with me today. [image error] Peace,Liv
Diva Jefferson ~ Historical Romance Author Website: www.divajefferson.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/divajeffersonTwitter: www.twitter.com/diva_jefferson
"Aveline Peyton's father gave her more than just a farm in Ireland. He gave her a handsome Irishman." [image error] She is left with an offer she cannotrefuse...
Upon hisdeath in 1823, English nobleman, Lord Peyton leaves his daughter Lady Avelinewith two choices—stay single and inherit only a small farm in Ireland, whereshe might just be able to eke out a living, or get married and live in luxury,inheriting all his wealth and property. Fiercely independent, Aveline heads forIreland only to run afoul of her father's farm manager, the devastatinglyhandsome Ciaran O''Devlin. Alone in a strange country, Aveline yearns for loveand friendship, but Ciaran offers only criticism and disdain. Confused andangered by strange visions and her growing attraction to Ciaran, Aveline isdetermined to make the farm prosper—despite the insufferable Irishman.
He has a secret he cannot reveal...
Ciaran mistrustsAveline's intentions and refuses to admit that a willful, English woman now owns the farm that should have been his. Althoughhe insists Aveline should go back to England, he cannot deny their buddingpassion. Yet, he knows—even if she doesn't—that nothing will come of it. Notonly can't a poor Irishman marry an English noblewoman, but when Aveline learnsof his past, she'll want nothing more to do with him. Ciaran has always knownthat each decision carries a consequence, but it's only when he stands to loseAveline that he realizes what a heavy price his past decisions may have.
To Love An Irishman is available at: Black Opal Books AmazonBarnes & NobleSmashwords
LR: Are you Irish? How did you celebrate St Patty's Day?DJ: Yes, I do have some Irish blood in me. I celebrate St. Patty's Day every year by making homemade from scratch Cabbage and Bacon soup.
LR: Have you been to Ireland? Tell us about it, and if not, tell us about your plans to go.DJ: I have not been to Ireland, but my grandparents have. They provided me with a lot of information as well as books, Google, and friends I've made along my writing journey. I'd love to go very much. This year, if everything works out alright, I will be going to Dublin for my honeymoon. :)
LR: If you could turn back time, when and where would you like to live?DJ: If I could turn back time, I would like to live in America during the mid-1800s before the Civil War. I am very fond of pretty dresses, and suited men who come to court the women who wear them. I would miss new technology, but I'd like to see a world that is illuminated by candles. I've read enough history to know that every place has its ups and downs, but in all actuality, I'd rather be here than anywhere else.
LR: Is it hard to create historical characters, particularly women, who feel relevant to contemporary readers? Women's roles seem so different now, or do you think that the more things change, the more they stay the same?DJ: Modern women sometimes don't realize how well we have it now a days. Back then, say 1800s, things were so much different for women. Men decided their lifestyles, what they did, how they did it, where they went. It's hard to relate when we have so much opportunity to follow our dreams than before. It's all we've known in this lifetime. Things do not remain the same, because we are now encouraged by the men in our lives rather than hindered and it's a welcome change.
I still prefer a historical romance where the man goes after the woman, all that chivalry stuff, but a different way of thinking allow us to broaden our horizons and make the heroine go after the hero instead. Like the old Irish and Scottish tradition of the woman asking the man to marry him on Leap Year's Day (or known here as Sadie Hawkins Day). Some change has been going on for centuries behind everyone's back.
Luckily, time does not alter a person's feelings and emotions. Every woman through out history has felt love, betrayal, lust, loneliness, and anger to name a few. If contemporary readers could connect with my heroines on those levels, then I've reached them.
LR: What's the best part about writing romance?DJ: Romance to me is something I know from experience. It involves human emotions that are taken from real life and molded into people I either could be best friends with (the heroine) or could fall in love with (the hero). Either way it's easier to write what you know, according to Stephen King. Besides, romance always has a happy ending. Shouldn't that be the same for all our lives?
LR: Who's your favorite Celtic music band/artist?DJ: My favorite band is Celtic Thunder. They all have wonderful voices and their music tends to gravitate toward the traditional folk music that you find at Irish pubs.
LR: Guinness or Harp? DJ: Guinness. I like the rich barley taste in the darker beer.
Gotta love a girl who knows her beer, right! Thanks again, Diva, for playing with me today. [image error] Peace,Liv
Diva Jefferson ~ Historical Romance Author Website: www.divajefferson.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/divajeffersonTwitter: www.twitter.com/diva_jefferson
"Aveline Peyton's father gave her more than just a farm in Ireland. He gave her a handsome Irishman." [image error] She is left with an offer she cannotrefuse...
Upon hisdeath in 1823, English nobleman, Lord Peyton leaves his daughter Lady Avelinewith two choices—stay single and inherit only a small farm in Ireland, whereshe might just be able to eke out a living, or get married and live in luxury,inheriting all his wealth and property. Fiercely independent, Aveline heads forIreland only to run afoul of her father's farm manager, the devastatinglyhandsome Ciaran O''Devlin. Alone in a strange country, Aveline yearns for loveand friendship, but Ciaran offers only criticism and disdain. Confused andangered by strange visions and her growing attraction to Ciaran, Aveline isdetermined to make the farm prosper—despite the insufferable Irishman.
He has a secret he cannot reveal...
Ciaran mistrustsAveline's intentions and refuses to admit that a willful, English woman now owns the farm that should have been his. Althoughhe insists Aveline should go back to England, he cannot deny their buddingpassion. Yet, he knows—even if she doesn't—that nothing will come of it. Notonly can't a poor Irishman marry an English noblewoman, but when Aveline learnsof his past, she'll want nothing more to do with him. Ciaran has always knownthat each decision carries a consequence, but it's only when he stands to loseAveline that he realizes what a heavy price his past decisions may have.
To Love An Irishman is available at: Black Opal Books AmazonBarnes & NobleSmashwords
March 17, 2012
You bet I'm Proudly Paranormal!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about vampires. There areseveral of them in my novella, AVampire's Deadly Delight, and there are a couple more in the short story I wrote for the anthology Bites - Ten Tales of Vampires. While I didn't do much research before Iwrote about them, I've done some catch-up in order to write quasi-intelligent sounding blogposts. Like this one. You'll have to let me know how I do.In my research, I came across the article, My Vampire Boyfriend: Postfeminism, "Perfect" Masculinity, and the Contemporary Appeal of Paranormal Romance by Ananya Mukherjea in the journalStudies in Popular Culture. With a title like that, you know it has to be a fun read.
The author argues that the reason vampires are so persistently popular right now isthat it takes a paranormal figure to balance all the roles that contemporarywomen are expected to assume. Women are supposed to be strong andcareer-minded, when they're not wearing slut shoes and flashing their ta-tas onthe internet. We're supposed to raise kids and gardens and keep the houseMartha-Stewart-worthy. While working a full-time job. And getting pedicures. Realmen can't keep up. Only a vampire with many years on earth, old-fashionedvalues, strength, financial stability, and a streak of nasty sexy danger canturn us on.
Her argument was pretty persuasive. I've sure as heck never fantasized about areasonably handsome man whose job blows hot and cold and who never remembers toput the carton of milk back in the fridge. Real men are great for some things,but when I want to get away from it all, find me someone who's pale and fanged,someone who drives a sleek black car and who doesn't care if I forgot to putthe clothes in the dryer.
And while I'm at it, can I just say that I don't get the whole zombie craze? They're all nasty lurching dead things dropping body parts on the floor. Hey, I've got teenagers. You can look at my living room and see it's kind of the same thing.
Heh.
So what did I do? I wrote a book where one of the maincharacters stabs vampires with her demon blade, ending their undead lives. And then I wrote a story where the vampire comes to a mysterious end at the hands of a rusalka. It kinda makes me wonder what I'm up to. Given the perspective of the article, I seem to have a need to destroy the perfect man. Repeatedly. Wow. That's enough material fora whole lot of therapy sessions.
I'm going to put a positive spin on this and say it showshow much I value the Real Man in my life. Hugging someone with a pulse is theonly way to go. And if he would just put the silverware away correctly, so that allthe salad forks go in the same little slot, he might be perfect, too. What, me,issues?Peace,Liv
Make sure to leave a comment as I'll be drawing for prizes including copies of A Vampire's Deadly Delight and Bites - Ten Tales of Vampires! You can check out the "My Books" tab above to learn more about both of them. ;)And check out the next stop on the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop tour, YA writer Rebecca Ryals Russell!
March 16, 2012
Friday Fun
This has been a busy week. Well, Noney had a busier week than I did - and now she wants me to spell her name with an -ey. Okay, girlfriend. Whatever you say. It's your birthday, after all.
Oh, did I mention it was Noney's birthday? Yep, she just turned thirty something-something. And to celebrate, she got on a plane and flew to Maui. I'm staring into the 40 degree Seattle overcast and trying not to hate her. It's hard.
Before she left, we put our heads together and came up with a video for your Friday Fun post. For our viewing party I suggested we make cute little cocktails with sliced pineapple and colored paper umbrellas, in honor of her upcoming excursion. She looked out from under her perfectly tinted lashes and said, "I'd like a very dry Ketel One martini up and with an orange twist."
Okey-dokey. I poured myself a beer.
Regardless of what it took to get the job done, we did, in fact, come up with a video. This is an older one, featuring a duo called Cleary and Harding, and they've done something real interesting with the song "We No Speak Americano". I hope you all enjoy the show, and Noney, I hope some hot young surfer dude is bringing you a Mai Tai even as I type this.
Peace,
Liv
Oh, did I mention it was Noney's birthday? Yep, she just turned thirty something-something. And to celebrate, she got on a plane and flew to Maui. I'm staring into the 40 degree Seattle overcast and trying not to hate her. It's hard.
Before she left, we put our heads together and came up with a video for your Friday Fun post. For our viewing party I suggested we make cute little cocktails with sliced pineapple and colored paper umbrellas, in honor of her upcoming excursion. She looked out from under her perfectly tinted lashes and said, "I'd like a very dry Ketel One martini up and with an orange twist."
Okey-dokey. I poured myself a beer.
Regardless of what it took to get the job done, we did, in fact, come up with a video. This is an older one, featuring a duo called Cleary and Harding, and they've done something real interesting with the song "We No Speak Americano". I hope you all enjoy the show, and Noney, I hope some hot young surfer dude is bringing you a Mai Tai even as I type this.
Peace,
Liv
March 14, 2012
A Foxie With Moxie Campaign Stop
Politics is big around my house, but usually I'm on the sidelines nodding and smiling. Not this time, baby. I'm hosting a couple of amazing people who happen to have some common sense ideas for how to turn this country around. Please join me in welcoming Piper Bayard and Kristen Lamb for a stop on their Foxie With Moxie campaign tour. Isn't it time we had a couple of women with sense in the White House?
Peace,
Liv
Because of my predilection for the paranormal, they addressed questions with a supernatural bent....
LR: Giventhe recent increase in preternatural activity, will you be adding a ParanormalDivision to the Department of Homeland Security? PB/KL: The wholedamn department is a paranormal division. It's a Frankenstein grown on thiscountry whose only purpose is to feed itself and attempt to justify itsexistence by grabbing more power at every opportunity. It's not enough that TSA(part of DHS) took over airport security, made a sweetheart deal with DHSDirector Chertoff for the strip-search scanners that can't tell balls frombombs, and insists on groping people for underwear bombs which would be barelybig enough to set their cuffs and collars on fire, now they have TSA agentsstopping people randomly on our nation's highways. Enough is enough. We wouldabsolutely not expand the Department of Homeland Security. We would eliminateit as a redundant bureaucracy because we already have an FBI, which hasprovisions for reporting any foreign intelligence they happen upon to the CIA,which, in turn, has provisions for reporting domestic intelligence they happenupon to the FBI. Enough worthless bureaucracy, already. LR: Doyou think Slayers should be given extra credit in school or at least be exemptfrom PE classes? PB/KL: Weactually feel that Slayers would be great candidates for home schooling becausemost of their work is done at night so they have inconvenient hours forattending school. Think of that heavy load poor Buffy carried. Their slaying activities would be their PE class. They could earncredit by either slaying 500 vampires or closing one Hellmouth. We wouldemphasize, however, that Ivy League schools only accept the closing of aHellmouth for their admissions qualifications. LR: With allhis years of experience and opportunities for observation, will the Ghost inLincoln's bedroom be made part of the cabinet? PB/KL: Lincolnwas one bright and gutsy guy. He made many unpopular decisions for the good ofthe nation. We need that kind of commitment to our country so he wouldabsolutely be part of the cabinet. We wouldmake him the Director of Homeland Security because when we're through with thatdepartment, it will be equally dead. He can guard it in the afterlife and makesure it does not return in a stronger, mutated form. LR: Wouldyou support an Equal Rights Amendment for post-life minority groups? How aboutfor the dual-natured? PB/KL: No. Whenyou consider the droves of zombies that have taken over every government agencyand Congress, the post-lifers are not a minority at all. And as for the dualnatured, we see them as being like those people who hold dual citizenship. Atthe age of 18, they need to choose, unless, of course, they live in Chicago, atwhich time they may register to vote as two separate people. LR: Whatabout Area 51? Do you have plans for opening it for tours or perhaps creating anational shrine on that location?
PB/KL: We'regoing to make it a big indie book store and put Bob Mayer in charge. They know himthere already, and he can fill it with his own books, so it should work well for all parties concerned. LR: Willthere be increased funding for the application of scientific principles toparanormal fields of research? PB/KL: No. We'll turn it into a reality show. We'll call it Scientific American. Paranormalresearchers can compete to show the public their various projects, and the winnerswill get funding for their research. But we can't promise that they will betaken seriously. LR: Shouldcryptozoology and spiritualism be taught in schools alongside evolution andcreationism? PB/KL: We preferthat kids learn to read first before we ask them to actually think aboutanything. Besides, any beliefs that are not hard science based on measurable facts should not be taught inschools. They should be debated on street corners by homeless people, just like they always have been. LR: Whatare your plans for dealing with the Zombie Apocalypse? PB/KL: Wewill issue nude pictures of Rush Limbaugh and Janet Napolitano to all of theliving. Don't worry. We will have the safe side clearly labeled, "Point otherside toward enemy." Upon flashing these pictures, zombies will rip out theirown eyes and start eating themselves or fall back in their graves to get away.If any of the living still want to stick around after seeing these pictures,themselves, they should stock up on ammo and Twinkies. Our sincere thanks to Liv forhosting us here at her blog today. It's been an honor. If you would like to host aBayard/Lamb 2012 Campaign Blog Tour Stop, please email Piper at piperbayard@yahoo.com. Bayard/Lamb 2012 – Because We'reNot the Other Guys
Peace,
Liv
Because of my predilection for the paranormal, they addressed questions with a supernatural bent....
LR: Giventhe recent increase in preternatural activity, will you be adding a ParanormalDivision to the Department of Homeland Security? PB/KL: The wholedamn department is a paranormal division. It's a Frankenstein grown on thiscountry whose only purpose is to feed itself and attempt to justify itsexistence by grabbing more power at every opportunity. It's not enough that TSA(part of DHS) took over airport security, made a sweetheart deal with DHSDirector Chertoff for the strip-search scanners that can't tell balls frombombs, and insists on groping people for underwear bombs which would be barelybig enough to set their cuffs and collars on fire, now they have TSA agentsstopping people randomly on our nation's highways. Enough is enough. We wouldabsolutely not expand the Department of Homeland Security. We would eliminateit as a redundant bureaucracy because we already have an FBI, which hasprovisions for reporting any foreign intelligence they happen upon to the CIA,which, in turn, has provisions for reporting domestic intelligence they happenupon to the FBI. Enough worthless bureaucracy, already. LR: Doyou think Slayers should be given extra credit in school or at least be exemptfrom PE classes? PB/KL: Weactually feel that Slayers would be great candidates for home schooling becausemost of their work is done at night so they have inconvenient hours forattending school. Think of that heavy load poor Buffy carried. Their slaying activities would be their PE class. They could earncredit by either slaying 500 vampires or closing one Hellmouth. We wouldemphasize, however, that Ivy League schools only accept the closing of aHellmouth for their admissions qualifications. LR: With allhis years of experience and opportunities for observation, will the Ghost inLincoln's bedroom be made part of the cabinet? PB/KL: Lincolnwas one bright and gutsy guy. He made many unpopular decisions for the good ofthe nation. We need that kind of commitment to our country so he wouldabsolutely be part of the cabinet. We wouldmake him the Director of Homeland Security because when we're through with thatdepartment, it will be equally dead. He can guard it in the afterlife and makesure it does not return in a stronger, mutated form. LR: Wouldyou support an Equal Rights Amendment for post-life minority groups? How aboutfor the dual-natured? PB/KL: No. Whenyou consider the droves of zombies that have taken over every government agencyand Congress, the post-lifers are not a minority at all. And as for the dualnatured, we see them as being like those people who hold dual citizenship. Atthe age of 18, they need to choose, unless, of course, they live in Chicago, atwhich time they may register to vote as two separate people. LR: Whatabout Area 51? Do you have plans for opening it for tours or perhaps creating anational shrine on that location?
PB/KL: We'regoing to make it a big indie book store and put Bob Mayer in charge. They know himthere already, and he can fill it with his own books, so it should work well for all parties concerned. LR: Willthere be increased funding for the application of scientific principles toparanormal fields of research? PB/KL: No. We'll turn it into a reality show. We'll call it Scientific American. Paranormalresearchers can compete to show the public their various projects, and the winnerswill get funding for their research. But we can't promise that they will betaken seriously. LR: Shouldcryptozoology and spiritualism be taught in schools alongside evolution andcreationism? PB/KL: We preferthat kids learn to read first before we ask them to actually think aboutanything. Besides, any beliefs that are not hard science based on measurable facts should not be taught inschools. They should be debated on street corners by homeless people, just like they always have been. LR: Whatare your plans for dealing with the Zombie Apocalypse? PB/KL: Wewill issue nude pictures of Rush Limbaugh and Janet Napolitano to all of theliving. Don't worry. We will have the safe side clearly labeled, "Point otherside toward enemy." Upon flashing these pictures, zombies will rip out theirown eyes and start eating themselves or fall back in their graves to get away.If any of the living still want to stick around after seeing these pictures,themselves, they should stock up on ammo and Twinkies. Our sincere thanks to Liv forhosting us here at her blog today. It's been an honor. If you would like to host aBayard/Lamb 2012 Campaign Blog Tour Stop, please email Piper at piperbayard@yahoo.com. Bayard/Lamb 2012 – Because We'reNot the Other Guys
March 13, 2012
Temptation's Touch
So this is a project that was a long time in coming. A couple years ago I started working on what has turned into my first full-length novel. You know, the one that stays in the bottom drawer of the desk? That one. I learned a lot writing it, though, and it left me with a world and characters that I'm still playing with.My story in Spellbound Hearts, called Temptation's Touch, pulls from that world. The main character, Geri, has always shied away from being touched, because it grossed her out. Then she learns the reason why, and meets the one guy whose touch feels REAL good. But touching him could create a life-long problem. Oops. Conflict. You'll have to read the story to see how she resolves it. And while you're at it, check out the stories by my co-authors Jillian, Olivia, and Clara. It's a great group of writers to be part of.
Spellbound Hearts is available from Still Moments Publishing and Smashwords (if Smashwords gives you problems, turn off your "adult" filter - there's a bit of a heat level to this one!).
Peace,
Liv
March 12, 2012
Monday Morning Quarterback - Mash-up Edition
Happy Monday! I'm trying something new this week - new for me, anyway. I've compiled a list of blog posts that I thought were particularly worthy. They made me smile, or scratched an itch, or gave me new ways to waste time on the internet; you know, the things you read blogs for. I hope you'll check these sites out, because they're a lot of fun - and kudos to the WANA112 crew for giving me so much to choose from. The handsomely illustrated man to the left was inspired by a link found by Jodi Lea Stewart. Because everyone needs a Regency Hero Dress-up Doll.
Then there was the post by Ellen Gregory, giving me yet another reason to go to Australia - Vanilla Slice!
I'm turning 50 in just about a month, and have been kicking ideas around for how to celebrate. (If you've got any good ones, post them in the comments. The best ones will involve beer. I'm just sayin' ;) This post, by Elaine Smothers, is inspiring, although I'm pretty sure I'm not as gutsy as she is. Check out A Leap Of Faith.
And finally, because all the best stories have vampires in them, I spent some time getting my pop-cultural fix with Emmie & Buffy & Angel and then even more with Freud & Kristen & Sookie (and Eric and Bill, of course).
Take a minute to hang out with my friends. It'll be worth your time. And if you've got another minute, check out the Team Sophia page. We've raised over $800 so far to send Sophia and her mother to visit Grandma in Hawaii!
Peace,
Liv
March 9, 2012
Friday Fun
So Nonee and I put our heads together to come up with an amazing Friday Fun video for you (Nonee is short for Anonymous, and this week she asked me to spell it with a double-E on the end. We're good friends, so I indulge her). We sat down with my laptop and a couple of beers - well, she was drinking a Maker's Mark Manhattan with extra lime and a cherry - and looked at some of our options. These little get-togethers can get pretty silly, I mean, you know what I'm like after a beer, right?Heh.Anywhoodle, this week we decided to take things in a little different direction. We went to the home of The Bloggess to scavenge from her weekly mash-up posts. I hope that's not tacky, but she really has the best stuff. If you haven't run across Jennifer Lawson, who writes as The Bloggess you should really check out her site. The post where she explains how she came to purchase a metal chicken is one of the funniest things that's ever crossed the internet. She named it Beyonce. Do you need to know more than that? She's also written a book that's available here for preorder. You can follow the links to her blog &/or to the post about the chicken. After you watch this video, of course. ;) It is a brilliant little clip that will likely turn into a brain worm and torture you for the rest of the day. Enjoy!And have a great weekend.Peace,Liv
PS...This amazing community has donated over $800 to Sophia's fund. You guys rock!
PS...This amazing community has donated over $800 to Sophia's fund. You guys rock!
March 7, 2012
Is it da shoes?
The other night my husband's bands had a double-header, so of course I had to play freaky-fan-girl for an evening of country twang and rock n' roll. Another band wife was celebrating her birthday, and the game was we all had to wear fabulous shoes to get a discount on the cover charge. I did my best (those ARE NOT my feet in the picture), but the whole experience reminded me of something.I don't move fast in four-inch heels.
It's a concept that I've been turning 'round in my head, for a couple of reasons. First, I'm a writer, and so I'm concerned with imagery. The details that I layer on my characters are what make them come alive, from their hairstyles to the cars they drive to the shoes they wear.
The other thing I've been thinking about is that, when it comes to high heels, there's definitely two camps: those who wear them and those who don't. Those who wear them find that they're a sassy symbol of strength, as described in this post by Abigail Posner on the blog Beauty Skew, and in this post by Sherry Isaac on her blog Psychological Sizzle.
Then there are those who think they symbolize women's oppression, though it sounds so heavy when you put it that way. The logic goes something like this: men invented high heels and decided they were beautiful as another way for women to torture themselves, just like they did with corsets and bound feet. And actually, if you'd asked me last Saturday night as I was mincing around in my 4" stiletto heeled black patent leather pumps, I might have agreed with that view, although I was the only one who kicked her shoes off as soon as she'd made one promenade around the room.
I found an older article (2009) from MSNBC's TodayStyle that summarized concerns like this. High heels:
can boost your career by transforming you into a confident, strident force to be reckoned with;can hamper your career by putting too much emphasis on your sex appeal rather than your brains;can wreak permanent damage on your feet and ankles, including — but not limited to — bunions, corns, calluses, shortening of the Achilles tendon, ankle fractures and nerve damage, andcan improve your sex life because the act of wearing them makes you feel sexy and strengthens core abdominal and pelvic muscles at the same time.What do you think? Are they a symbol of strength or of suppression?
I can understand that wearing heels gives women confidence and increases the level of their authority, and I agree that criticizing those who wear heels for that reason is somewhat subversive, comparable to discounting women's gymnastics when it's one of the only sports where a petite woman can succeed. The logic seems to be that girls who are short AND strong are too threatening, so we need to undermine their power through subtle (and not so subtle) condemnation.
The shoes I wore the other night were relatively conservative compared with some that I saw. The most extreme pair probably had about a seven inch heel, with a two to three inch platform sole. They were crazy cute, but this is where I think the oppression argument gains some traction. While I can get on board the heels = strength train, when I look at some of the shoes that are out there, I still have to wonder if there isn't some underlying impulse to hold women to an unrealistic standard. The more extreme styles must limit your mobility, and what starts out as a bid for strength becomes an issue of safety. In the wake of the rabid anti-woman outburst from a certain radio personality troll, how much safety can we afford to give up?
In the end I think it's really about personal choice. I just hope that women put some thought into how their choices are affecting the image they put out there. I recently created a character who's about five feet, two inches tall, and I had to really think about what heels would mean for her - certainly something different than they do for me, since I'm closer to five feet, nine inches tall. I put Molly in high heels to offset the power differential with her much-taller ex-husband. I put her teenage daughter in higher heels to play up her dangerous impulses. Be careful out there, ladies. There are trolls waiting to take you down, and if you're wearing stilts, they might have an easier time of it.Peace,
Liv
PS...if you've got a minute, check out today's stop on the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop...author Krista Ball...
March 5, 2012
Monday Morning Quarterback - Team Sophia edition
So this was a great weekend. Got the daughter registered for highschool - at the school of her dreams - and she's really excited about it. And you all got to meet Sophia and her mother Stacey. With your help, over $400 was donated in the Team Sophia Paypal account, which is a big step towards making it possible for Sophia and Stacey and their team of nurses to travel to Hawaii to see Sophia's grandma. That's really cool, you guys, and very much appreciated. I wanted to make sure all of you got to see the comment Stacey left on Saturday's post, so here it is again:
Wow. The power of the human spirit! I am SO moved and touched by the flood of positive thoughts, donations, prayers, and words of encouragement! More than anything, I wish you all could experience "The Soph"...she is magic. She wakes, never having ill feelings or resentment from the day before, she greets each day with a heart that only welcomes all who love her. She has the world's greatest smile, and her giggle that appears every few days is enough for you to believe in miracles. Thank you for this new family of love and support!
Sophia Grace and Stacey
March 4, 2012 9:13 PM
I swear we're going to keep this energy going. Every couple weeks I'll post an update on Sophia and let you guys know how much good you're doing with your donations. It doesn't have to be a large dollar amount - the cost of a double tall skinny vanilla mocha with hot steam and whip will do a lot towards making Sophia's dream a reality. The Paypal button's going to stay on the blog, as will the Team Sophia page where all the updates will be collected. With all the bad news there is in this world, it is humbling to see the good side of human nature, the side that reaches out to a little girl who needs the help. Thank you.Peace,Liv
(ps...if you've got a minute, check out today's stop on the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop...author JD Brown)
Wow. The power of the human spirit! I am SO moved and touched by the flood of positive thoughts, donations, prayers, and words of encouragement! More than anything, I wish you all could experience "The Soph"...she is magic. She wakes, never having ill feelings or resentment from the day before, she greets each day with a heart that only welcomes all who love her. She has the world's greatest smile, and her giggle that appears every few days is enough for you to believe in miracles. Thank you for this new family of love and support!
Sophia Grace and Stacey
March 4, 2012 9:13 PM
I swear we're going to keep this energy going. Every couple weeks I'll post an update on Sophia and let you guys know how much good you're doing with your donations. It doesn't have to be a large dollar amount - the cost of a double tall skinny vanilla mocha with hot steam and whip will do a lot towards making Sophia's dream a reality. The Paypal button's going to stay on the blog, as will the Team Sophia page where all the updates will be collected. With all the bad news there is in this world, it is humbling to see the good side of human nature, the side that reaches out to a little girl who needs the help. Thank you.Peace,Liv
(ps...if you've got a minute, check out today's stop on the Proudly Paranormal Blog Hop...author JD Brown)
March 2, 2012
Team Sophia
Meet Sophia. She's one of the most powerful little girls you'll ever know. Her mother Stacey is a friend of mine and she can tell you better than anyone else how special Sophia is. When I told Stacey I wanted to add a feature to my blog that would allow people to donate to Team Sophia she said, I love the idea. Mostly,I love the world knowing the miracle girl who teaches me daily to dig deeply, love unconditionally, and forgive before the sun sets. The world is better because if her.
Sophia does give us all the chance to be better people. She was born prematurely, with a number of challenges that might have thwarted a lesser kid. She's on first-name basis with most of the staff in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Giraffe acute-care floor at Seattle Children's Hospital. She also has a committed group of nurses and physical therapists who work with her at home. Most recently, she was diagnosed with a Wilm's tumor, so now she's sharing her sunshine with the staff in the chemo clinic (no more long blond hair!) and on the heme-onc floor.
But you know what? Sophia really wants to share her sunshine with her grandmother in Hawaii. Her goal is to make a trip this June, but she needs help. It's not just Mom and Soph and a carseat and some carry-ons. Stacey's a single mom, and she will buy plane tickets for a couple nurses who will travel with her to help with Sophia's specialized needs. And there's equipment - portable suction and emergency oxygen and the like. It's all got to go, too.The biggest bonus to developing a blog is the feeling that it's part of a larger community, that there are people who check in here to see what's going on in the life and writing of Liv Rancourt. Well, now I want to take it another step. Become a part of this community by donating to Team Sophia. 100% of your contributions will go to Sophia and Stacey. There are no administrative costs - money goes through Paypal into a Bank of America account that has been set up for them. The money will make it possible for them to go see Grandma and to improve their home environment so it is better suited to Sophia's needs. I'll post periodic updates so you know how Sophia's doing. And for sure I'll post pictures of their Hawaiian vacation!
Peace,
Liv
